Dust cap



. R. ORR

DUST CAP.- APPIICATION FILED JUNE 27, I921.

Patented Oct. 17, 1922...

INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYj Patented @ct. 11?, 1%22 JAMES B. ORR, OF LOS ANGELES,CALIFORNIA.

DUST CAP.

Application filed June 27, 1921. Serial No. 480,578.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES R. ORB, a citizen of the United'States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Dust Caps, 01which the following is a specification.

This invention is a dust cap adapted to be employed in connection with avalve stem such as is used upon a pneumatic tire.

The invention provides a dust cap which may be readily slipped over avalve stem and automatically locked against displacement, whilepermitting of ready release of the loclring means when it is desired tore move the dust cap.

The invention also provides a yieldable plug within the dust cap whichis automatically pressed over the end of the valve stem when the dustcap is in position in order to prevent leakage tl'irough the valve stem.

The invention will be readily understood from the following descriptionof the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view ofa dust cap constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through such a dust cap, showing the samein position upon the valve stem.

The valve upon which the dust cap is received is shown at 1 and isprovided with 'the usual threaded exterior 2. The cap 3 is receivedloosely over the valve stem and a plug 4, which is preferably of rubberis received within the dust cap and is provided with a recessed lowerend 5 adapted to fit over the end of the valve stem when the dust cap isin position. The plug yield bly urged downwardly in the dust cap inorder to tightly fit over the valve stems of the different lengths, andfor this purpose a coil spring 6 is interposed between the base of thedust cap and the upper end of the plug.

In order to retain the dust cap upon the valve stem a leaf spring 8 isfixed at one end as by a rivet 9 to the exterior oi the dust cap, andthe free end of the leaf spring is provided with a lateral extension 10which extends across the dust cap just beyond the end of the same. Thislateral extension is provided with an opening 11 through which the valvestem is received and the leaf spring is so arranged that the normaltendency thereof is to move away from the dust cap and shift theextension 10 so that the edge 12 of the opening 11 will bind against thethreaded exterior of the valve stem. This shifting tendency of extension10 is limited by an ear 13 extending upwardly from the extension so "tobind against the dust cap when the gripping member has been so shiftedto cause binding engagement with the valve stem.

By this arrangement it will be seen that when the dust cap is placedupon the valve stem the gripping member will automatically bind theparts against disengage ment, but that when it is desired to release thedust cap pressure exerted against leaf spring 8 null cause shifting ofextension 10 in the opposite direction so to release the bindingengagement of the edge 12 of opening 11 with the valve stem. As aconsequence, the dust cap may then be readilv removed.

It will be apparent that various changes may be made in the constructionas thus described without departing from the spirit of the invention,

What is claimed is:

1.. The combination with a cap for a stem, of a leaf spring fixed uponsaid cap at one end and having a lateral extension at its free endpositioned across the open end of said cap, said extension having anopening adapted to receive said stem and normally yieldably urgedlaterally away from said cap so to bind against said stem at the sideofsaid opening.

2. The combination with a cap for a stem. of a leaf spring fixed uponsaid cap at one end and having a lateral extension at its free endpositioned across the open end of said cap, said extension having anopening adapted to receive said stem and normally yieldably urgedlaterally away from said cap so as to bind against said stem at the sideof said opening, and an abut ment element upon said extension forlimiting the lateral shift of the same into binding position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JAMES R. ORR.

